Journal Article

The Australian economy has experienced a high degree of structural and technological change over the past three decades. Significant changes will continue, with the decline of the manufacturing sector, the increasing use of mechanisation and technology in the mining and agricultural sectors, and with the growing role of computerisation and robotics in the workplace in general. The effects of such changes to date have included better pay and more employment opportunities for those whose skills are in demand, but it has also meant lower relative pay and fewer job opportunities for low-skilled and unskilled workers and for workers whose jobs have been replaced by technological development. Structural change leaves workers in industries that are in long-term relative decline with fewer employment opportunities which can lead to entrenched long-term unemployment. Technological change impacts on the types of jobs available within industries and the skills required. The purpose of this paper is to examine the regional dimension to labour market change and determine which areas are likely to be most at risk as the economy continues to experience changes in sectoral mix and in the types of jobs and the skills required.

Purpose: Programmes and courses integrating learning and work, captured generally in this paper as work integrated learning (WIL), usually provide flexible and innovative learning opportunities. In a digital age, information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be vital in delivering and enhancing such hybrid forms of WIL. The purpose of this paper is to explore the correlation and trajectory of ICT use among priests in the Church of England in the various forms of WIL. Design/methodology/approach: The case study explores ICT use among a sample of Church of England priests by examining initially their use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) such as Blackboard and Moodle in work-based learning (WBL); and assessing the trajectory and correlation to work-related learning (WRL) through their use of social networking/engagement tools such as Facebook and Twitter in continuing professional development courses (CPD). The correlation and trajectory is provided through a document analysis of VLE access and a survey questionnaire., Findings: Priests in WBL and priests engaged in WRL (i.e. CPD courses) revealed a correlation in the lack of ICT pervasiveness. With only a minority of priests engaging in further higher education (HE), the familiarity and use of ICT such as VLE platforms stagnated or declined. Correlated with social networking/engagement, priests overwhelmingly cited the 'lack of time' as a reason not to engage with social media, however, ICT reluctance caused by fear was the trajectory resulting in a further lack of 'ICT pervasiveness'. Research limitations/implications: While results may be generalisable among Church of England priests and other faith communities internationally, due to its unique and distinctive parameters, it is not generalisable to the general mature student adult education population., Practical implications: The case study highlighted that continued intentional familiarisation and use of ICT within the various forms of WIL programmes and courses among 'non-digital natives' would enhance learning. Such learning in WIL would be beneficial for HE programmes addressing e-readiness as a priority. Social implications: Specific to the sample case study, considering the importance of community engagement and WIL, this study highlights the challenges and changes required for improved social capital within the field of ICT and adult education. Originality/value: No studies have considered the training and education of priests as a WIL case study of ICT 'pervasiveness' and self-efficacy.

Over the coming decades, technology and automation are expected to dramatically transform how work will be undertaken. While many of these developments will improve productivity and provide new opportunities, some jobs will likely disappear. In this article, we report data from in‐depth interviews undertaken with 51 young Australians about their strategies for managing the possibility of technological disruption in the workplace. In the face of future uncertainties, we found that the majority of our participants remained confident in their ability to maintain for themselves a ‘good’ career story. We posit, however, that those who could neither avoid nor reduce the possibility that technological advancements might jeopardise their career plans demonstrated an outlook of career malleability whereby they accepted the risk yet remained subjectively confident in their own capacity to rewrite their career narrative if, or when, circumstances demanded.

Despite the relevance of the automatability of male and female jobs, only limited research has been conducted on this topic. Using and replicating data from Brookings Institution, CNBC, IWPR, McKinsey, PIAAC, and PwC, we performed analyses and made estimates regarding share of jobs with potential high rates of automation by worker characteristics (%, across countries), the number of women and men in occupations with low and high risk of automation, and in the total workforce (2014–2018, in millions), and share of tasks that could be automated with current technologies (%). The results of a study based on collected data and estimates provide support for our research model.

Purpose: Drawing on social feminist theory, this paper aims to close gaps between knowledge about gender-related barriers to information, communication and technology (ICT) adoption and the provision of entrepreneurship education and training (EET) programs. Design/methodology/approach: Empirical findings are drawn from 21 semi-structured interviews (22 informants) possessing differing training expertise regarding digital technology among women entrepreneurs. An open-coding technique was adopted where descriptive codes were first assigned to meaningful statements. Interpretive and pattern codes were then assigned to indicate common themes and patterns, which were reduced to higher-order categories to inform the research questions. Findings: The findings specify and validate further gender influences in the digital economy. Digital skills are identified, and strategies to close gender barriers to ICT adoption with EET are described. The findings are discussed in reference to a large-scale, Canadian ICT adoption program. Research limitations/implications: Perceptual data may be idiosyncratic to the sample. The work did not control for type of technology. Gender influences may differ by type of technology. Practical implications: Findings can be used to construct gender-inclusive ICT supports and inform ICT adoption policies. This includes program eligibility and evaluation criteria to measure the socio-economic impacts. Originality/value: The study is among the first to examine the intersection between knowledge about gender-related barriers to ICT adoption and EET. The findings can be adopted to ICT support programs targeted at small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Digital technology is increasingly central to our lives, particularly among young people. However, there remains a concern from government and businesses of a digital skills gap because many youths, especially girls, tend to be consumers rather than creators of technology. Drawing on 32 semi-structured interviews with digitally skilled teenagers (aged 13-19), this article investigates their digital career aspirations and examines how identities and discourses of gender can interact with the type of digital careers that are of interest to these youths. While it was found that digitally skilled young people still articulate traditional gendered discourses of digital competence, especially around technical abilities, the growing importance of creativity as a career pathway into digital technology is highlighted. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the new computing curriculum in England, which prioritises technical computing skills, and the discontinuation of information and communications technology (ICT), which facilitates a broader usage of software and digital productivity.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to formulate extended enterprise-oriented structure and process map for technical skill building for firms belonging to emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach: The authors identify technical skill building (lies at the intersection of product, process and people) as a key enabler for furthering organizational competitiveness. The authors employ define measure explore develop implement- and supplier, input, process, output, and customer (SIPOC-) based framework for arriving at a technical skill building framework., Findings: By utilizing the SIPOC-based framework, the authors identify the supplier(s), input(s), process(s), output(s) and customer(s) in the value chain of technical skill building as far as the extended enterprise is concerned. Originality/value: The paper uses pragmatic and user-friendly conceptualization for technical skill building framework.

Work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences rely heavily on the development of relationships between the university, industry and often community organizations. As participation in WIL is increasing, the issue of sustainability becomes paramount, requiring processes and practices for effective collaborations and partnerships. This paper reports on an action research project to develop a framework to represent the critical success factors for sustainable WIL relationships. Drawing on reflections from WIL practitioners on what they considered were the critical success factors and a review of literature, a framework was developed, prioritizing three key themes: communication, commitment and compatibility. Within these themes, nine key factors were identified and then evaluated by academic and industry stakeholders in New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Trust, expectations, reciprocity, coordination, vision, learning, resources, reputation, and recognition were confirmed as important factors for sustainable WIL relationships. The framework provides good practice guidelines for all WIL stakeholders.

Purpose: This paper aims to outline a proof of concept for a framework to support students in reflecting on and in articulating their disciplinary, contextual and professional learning in the workplace. The purpose of the framework was to help students to recognize and articulate their transferable employability skills in preparation for the workplace or further studies upon graduation. Design/methodology/approach: Researchers developed a Learning Evaluation and Reflection Narrative (LEARN) activity to facilitate real-world articulation of workplace learning. A group of work placement students completed pre- and post-work surveys, prompting reflection on their learning goals and behaviors. The Transferable Learning Orientation Survey comprised five constructs: goal orientation, learning belief, self-efficacy, transfer (deep learning) and organization. Subsequently, they completed a written reflection and a mock interview scenario, where they verbally articulated their abilities and the applicability of their skills. Results of thematic analysis are presented., Findings: Survey results demonstrated changes in students' orientation toward learning. Additionally, students were able to deliver sophisticated responses through engagement in the LEARN framework, articulating recognition and self-awareness of their personal and professional learning, as well as relevance of their learning within and beyond their workplace setting. Research limitations/implications: The sample is small, and the authors therefore recommend further work to evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of the LEARN framework in larger cohorts and in alternate work environments. Social implications: The responses suggest the LEARN framework are worthy of further investigation as a tool for students to articulate lifelong learning skills and behaviors, as it offers an opportunity for students to engage in reflective, deep learning. Originality/value: This research builds on existing studies on the evaluation of lifelong learning, adapting a framework and testing its implementation in the workplace setting.